DEVONPORT Services make their longest trip of the season this weekend when they travel to Cheshire to take on fellow National Two West strugglers Macclesfield.
Services are still looking for their first win since their promotion, whereas fellow newcomers Macclesfield have one win to their name and sit eight points ahead of Devonport in the table, although they are still in the relegation zone with two teams going down at levels four to six.
However, Services head coach Ben Russell does not want his team worrying about their position at the bottom of the standings. He just wants them to concentrate on their performance and just keep working hard.
“There’s still a lot of games to go and we still have more to come at home than away,” said Russell.
“If we could just get that one win under our belts then the pressure would come off the lads.
“But it is all about performance. We were growing with our performances and getting better and better but last week it slipped a little bit in the first half.
“The boys are fighting and training hard. They know it is never going to be easy but if they can just keep on pushing and going and when we get a performance that win will come.”
Services went down 55-22 away at Hinckley last weekend after suffering a poor first half which saw them trail 36-5.
They did end up picking up a try-scoring bonus point and they are keen to build on that second half display when they make another lengthy trip up the country.
“It’s another long bus journey and no-one has been to this club (Macclesfield) before,” said Russell.
“They are the other newly-promoted side but they have already bagged their first win. I’m sure they will be looking at us and hoping to get their second one of the season, but we’ll be trying to get our first.”
He added: “We won the league and we deserved to go up and wanted to go up, but the step up is vast. We just have to concentrate on trying to get better and turning in performances.”
Services are missing Henry Gliddon, who did impress last week, but they do have Tom Davies and Luke Stannard back available.
Richard West and Rikki Bentham are set to return to Services’ starting line-up after starting on the bench last week, while Billy Sutton keeps his place in the matchday squad, while fellow youngster Oli Lane is set to travel with the team to Cheshire.
However, Dylan Daley, Harrison Coonick, Toby Knowles, Matt Neyle, Mark Friend, Mike Rickard and Joe Stansfield remain on the sidelines with serious injuries.
“The rest of the lads who are injured are going to be out for a fair bit,” admitted Russell. “I think the only person we might get back before Christmas will be Toby Knowles. It would be a nice surprise if anyone else gets back before Christmas.”
REGIONAL ONE SOUTH WEST
IVYBRIDGE are set to be able to welcome back on-loan experienced Plymouth Albion lock Dan Collier as they head to Somerset to take on Chew Valley in a vital Regional One South West match.
It may still be early in the season, but Saturday’s game on the outskirts of Bristol is looking like a must-win one for both clubs who sit in the bottom two places.
Chew Valley, who lost a host of key players after finishing third last season, have yet to win a match, while Ivybridge only have one victory to their name and have lost their last four heavily.
Both clubs have found scoring points hard, while leaking plenty – Ivybridge have conceded 269 points in just their last four games against Brixham, Barnstaple, Launceston and Royal Wootton Bassett.
Ivybridge have been hit by injuries in the last few weeks, but head coach Davy McGregor has urged them just to stick at it and keep fighting. He is confident that just one win could be a turning point.
“Our boys just have to keep grafting,” he said. “A four-point win somewhere along the line could just make that difference.”
Not only do Ivybridge have lock Collier back, but they are also able to welcome back former Chew Valley youngster Henry Burke, who will start at fly-half in the absence of the injured Matt Grieveson.
Dan Skeemer also returns, while Matt Skeemer moves from the backs to number eight with Will Peakman missing.
Elliott Harwood could make his debut at tight-head prop, while there could also be a first team debut for former colt Harry Lakeman.
COUNTIES ONE WESTERN WEST
PLYMSTOCK Oaks and Tavistock will both be looking to bounce back from away defeats in Cornwall last Saturday with important home games this weekend.
Second-placed Oaks’ winning start to the season came crashing down last week when they were beaten 50-3 in Penzance by the Pirates Amateurs.
This weekend they host fifth-placed Barnstaple II at Horsham Fields. The north Devon club stunned previously unbeaten Paignton 50-26 last week.
“We are looking to just put the wrongs right this week,” said Oaks head coach Lewis Paterson.
“Barnstaple will be a strong test, but I feel like the squad want to bounce back.”
Oaks are able to welcome back Ollie White, Alex Chapman, Lewie Riley and Joel Moran, but they are missing Joe Brearley, Matt Jackson and Kieran Jamieson.
Tavistock are also at home this weekend when they host fellow strugglers Bude at Sandy Park.
Tavistock will be aiming to respond to last week’s 36-14 defeat away at St Ives.
Ninth-placed Bude currently sit one place and four points ahead of Tavistock.
“I know they got beat last week (against Redruth II) quite convincingly, but in all my years of playing and coaching, I have never known a bad Bude side,” said Tavistock coach Darren Chappell.
“We know to get anything out of it we will need to be on top form.”
He added: “The lads that are playing for us are really performing and really digging in deep. You can’t knock the effort – they really are playing for the shirt.
“But we have lost personnel, and we haven’t replaced them, which is just where we are. We are just missing a few characters.”
Among those missing this week is captain Hammy Kerswill, who is injured, but they do have forwards Richard Cann, Toby Teague and Sam Palmer available.
“We are looking a bit healthier,” said Chappell.
“They (Bude) have some big old boys and we really need to try and move them around the park and so hopefully we can try and take hold of the game in the second half.
“They are going to be strong and up for it and so we have to try and weather the storm. It is a game of 80 minutes, not 40.
“We have a sponsors’ lunch up there. We tend to dig in a bit deeper when there is a couple of hundred people watching.”
COUNTIES TWO
PLYMOUTH Argaum will be looking for a second successive win in Counties Two Devon when they make the trip to old rivals Dartmouth on Saturday.
Argaum claimed only their second victory of the season last weekend when they beat South Molton 21-12 to move up to seventh in the table.
Dartmouth also won last Saturday, overcoming OPMs 24-15 to move of the bottom of the table with their first success since earning promotion.
“Dartmouth moved off the bottom of the table last week and I’m sure they will be fancying themselves at home to make it two in a row,” said Argaum head coach Dean Avery.
“But after last week’s win hopefully we can start to build a bit of momentum.
“We are tending to see the same sort of team now and we are getting good numbers at training.”
Dartmouth beat Argaum 31-24 at home last October in the delayed Devon Junior Bowl final.
“That got discussed in the huddle after last week’s game as we do owe them,” said Avery.
“Hopefully, we can go up there with a good side and start having some enjoyment on a Saturday by getting some more wins.”
OPMs and Tamar Saracens will both be looking to bounce back after suffering home upset last weekend.
After losing to Dartmouth last weekend at King George V Playing Fields, OPMs make the trip to Topsham II on Saturday.
“We need to regroup and sort some things out that happened last week,” said the Old Boys’ captain Billy Garratt. “It’s about how we react now.
“We can’t keep our heads down; we have to look forward and go again.”
He added: “We don’t really know much about them (Topsham II). We see their scores and everything, but we don’t know much about their team. I have never played Topsham IIs. I have played Topsham ones before. It should be an interesting one.
“We just want to make things right and not have that feeling like last week again.”
Tamar Saracens were beaten 22-7 at home to Withycombe last Saturday. This weekend they visit struggling Exmouth II, who were beaten 83-7 at Devonport Services II last Saturday.
Sarries head coach Mike Lewis admitted the home defeat to Withycombe was frustrating, but they just have to improve their decision making.
“It was almost the best we have played all season,” he said. “But we just didn’t quite make the right decisions in the right areas and didn’t quite finish some attacks off when we should have. And their tries they scored were off our mistakes.
“We were good enough to win, but at the same time we didn’t make the right decisions to win it.”
He added: “Exmouth II’s result last week shows that they can be quite fragile, but that was away from home.
“They are at home this week and you just never know with a second team.
“You can’t ever rest on your laurels. They might have lost by 80 points last week but could have half a first team this week. We just have to be on the ball.”
Sarries will head to Exmouth without the likes of Alex Isreal, Frazer Tatchell, Adam Corbett, Robbie Fowler, Chad Smith and Joe McKinnley.
“I think seven of the starting team from last week that can’t play but we still have a good enough side to go up there and hopefully get a win,” said Lewis.
Meanwhile in Counties Two Devon, unbeaten Devonport Services II will be looking to continue their impressive start to the season away at bottom side South Molton.
Services II and Torquay Athletic are the only two teams left unbeaten in the league and Devonport do not want to slip up at South Molton, who do tend to be much stronger at home.
South Molton did beat Services II 14-10 at Unicorn Park in January and so Services will be wary of them.
In Counties Two Cornwall, unbeaten leaders Saltash have a big home game against St Austell II, who have only lost once this season.
The Ashes have beaten three of their main rivals in the last three weeks in the form of Helston, Perranporth and Falmouth, but they will not want to slip up at home, in a league where just one defeat can be costly.
COUNTIES THREE
TAVISTOCK II have withdrawn from Counties Three Devon South & West after failing to fulfil any of their opening six fixtures.
The club said: “We battled hard with this decision, but we will come back stronger.”
That means Plympton Victoria are without a first team game this weekend as they were due to host them at St Mary’s Field.
After receiving a walkover by Tavistock II last weekend, unbeaten Old Techs are back in action with a big home game against Plymstock Oaks II at Weston Mill.
The two teams have had some good battles in the last couple of seasons, including in last year’s Ellis Trophy final, which went right down to the wire.
“They (Oaks II) have been a bit up and down this season. They had a good result against Kingsbridge but then last week couldn’t get a side out. However, it looks like they have signed a few more players this week.
“We are not really sure what to expect, but their first team is doing well and that normally filters down to the second team. They always have a few experienced lads.
“We played them in the Ellis Cup and had a really close game and I think it should be another good game, hopefully.”
Techs are missing Nathan Webb, Harvey Adams and Luke Taylor, but they should be able to welcome back the likes of Steve Wilkinson, Jenson Baker, Jack Williams, James Douglas, Phil Flowers and Phil Ingelson, while new signing Jacob Mitchell could be pushing for a debut.
Fellow unbeaten side Ivybridge II have a big home match against fellow high-flyers Brixham II.
Both teams are unbeaten as sit first and second in the table, with Techs also having a 100 per cent record in third.
Ivybridge II have named a strong side for the match, which includes the Wes Vermigle and Luke Martell.
In Counties Three Cornwall, Saltash II host Camborne School of Mines at home.